On Tuesday, the struggling Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Steve Nash after losing five of their first seven games of the new NBA season.
It was Nash’s first head coaching job in the league; in fact, it was his first coaching job of any kind after ending his playing career in 2015.
Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, publicly had Nash’s back after the news, saying that he feels Nash could be a very good coach in a different situation.
Steve Kerr is confident that Steve Nash can be a "great" coach in the NBA after his fallout with the Nets 🤝 pic.twitter.com/lup70dRJZu
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 1, 2022
A Bright Future Ahead
Nash was hired to be at the helm of a talented but flawed Nets team two years ago, and from the start, it was clear it wouldn’t be an easy situation, especially when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the team’s two stars, said they didn’t really have a head coach.
At the time, the Hall of Fame point guard had absolutely no coaching experience, either as a head or assistant coach.
It wasn’t the best situation for him, as the Nets don’t have great leadership or a chain of command.
Kerr was also hired as a rookie head coach by the Warriors in 2014, but they had strong leadership from Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, not to mention a well-constructed team that simply needed to be maximized by Kerr’s fast-breaking, pace-and-space offensive scheme.
Such a situation allows a rookie head coach the luxury of growing into the job and growing into his own leadership style.
One thing is for sure: This could be a great learning experience for the 48-year-old Nash, and it could serve him well at his next head coaching stop, especially if he finds himself in a more stable situation.
NEXT: Kyrie Irving Didn't Show Up For The Nets On Tuesday Night